News

The Scottish Law Commission’s annual report for 2023 has been published. The report outlines progress on the commission’s law reform work during 2023. It explains the commission’s work to promote law reform, notes the implementation to date of the commission’s recommendations

The latest quarterly criminal court figures show progress in Sheriff solemn backlogs. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service statistical bulletin is published today and provides data on criminal cases. This bulletin covers the period Quarter 3 2023/24 (October - December).

Peter Kinghorn discusses how the late Professor Ian Willock's hard work and vision helped thousands of people in Dundee. We read with interest the article in Scottish Legal News about the Ian Willock Collection rightly dedicated to the sterling work done by Professor Willock, particularly in th

The Edinburgh Law School team participating in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition will be hosting a demonstration followed by a drinks reception later this month. The Jessup is the world’s largest and most prestigious international law competition. Centred aroun

A Conservative peer has agreed to pay substantial damages as part of a settlement with a PhD student who she baselessly accused of spreading antisemitism while appearing on University Challenge. Baroness Jacqueline Foster made absurd claims on X, formerly Twitter, about a toy octopus chosen as the m

Dear Editor, One of the reasons why advocates are personally responsible for what they say in court, is that it hardly bolsters an argument if one is too ashamed to put one’s name to it.

US prosecutors have charged a man who allegedly sent classified information through a dating website to someone who claimed to be a Ukrainian woman and referred to him as her "secret informant love". David Franklin Slater, a 63-year-old civilian employee of the US Air Force, has been charged with al

Freeths has established a new commercial dispute resolution team in Scotland with the appointment of director Alan McDonald, who joins from CMS. Mr McDonald will head up the new litigation service based in the firm’s Glasgow office. He has over 12 years’ experience advising on contentiou

Morton Fraser MacRoberts has made two new appointments to its management board. Jenny Dickson has been elected as the firm’s chair, and Ian Steele has been appointed as a non-executive. They join CEO Chris Harte and COO Neil Kennedy on the board, which is responsible for the overall governance

The property market across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife, and the Borders has shown encouraging signs, marked by increased confidence among homeowners and a surge in property sales volumes, according to the latest ESPC House Price Report.

Bruce de Wert, 69, a well-known and much respected solicitor in the Highlands, has passed away after travelling to a clinic in Switzerland where he was able to end his life with dignity and on his own terms. Mr de Wert, who ran the Wick-based law firm Georgesons, died last Thursday.

A review of Community Rights to Buy will begin this summer to look at how effective current powers are in allowing communities to acquire land or buildings. Community Right to Buy has now been in use for 20 years. During that time, there have been several additions and amendments to the original rig

A Dundee lawyer has been found guilty of defrauding a client out of nearly £3,000.

The Scottish Arbitration Centre has been nominated by the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge leadership for the Global Arbitration Review ERA Pledge Award at the 2024 GAR Awards. The nomination is in recognition of the centre launching all-female initial panels of domestic and international

Govan Law Centre (GLC) has accepted instructions from a service user of Milldale Day Opportunities – a day care centre for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism in Linwood, Renfrewshire – to challenge the proposed closure of the service. A petition for judicial review was lodge